Shower Thoughts
by athenasqueen
Summary: She certainly hadn't expected her day to turn out quite like this.


Blood seeped from her head wound, down along her cheek, despite her best attempts to patch it earlier. Her face was covered in dust and grime, exhaustion written clearly across her features. The last seventy two hours had been hell, and she knew she looked as bad as she felt. Every muscle in her body protested as she walked, and she was almost tempted not to even bother with the shower, to simply curl up on her bed and close her eyes. But, even though that was a tempting thought, she also wanted to get rid of the filth that covered her body now.

Not stopping to think, she pushed her hair back, serving only to further smear blood across her face. A sigh of mild irritation escaped her lips, hand dropping back down to her side, wiping the blood against the fabric of her clothes. The blood may not have come off when she washed them, but then again, she doubted that she'd ever get this particular set of clothes clean again, anyway.

Reaching the door of the showers, she reached out, pulling the handle down as she pushed it open, stepping into the small confined area, only to be immediately assaulted by steam. And the appearance of a very naked Wolf. Her jaw dropped, and for a second, she forgot her senses, eyes staring at him, unable to drag them away.

He gave her a wide grin, clearly not all that concerned by her sudden appearance, and she snapped back into focus, hastily dragging a dirt stained hand over her eyes, a flood of warmth creeping up her neck.

"I'm so sorry," she squeaked out, her voice pitched higher than it normally would have been. "If I had known..." She trailed off, parting her fingers slightly to peek at him. He had reached for a towel now, covering his waist, though the rest of him was still bare, and Sasha found herself swallowing hard. The Australian was an incredibly attractive man, and denying that wasn't possible. And to find him like this… well, forgetting it would be just as impossible.

"Come to enjoy the show?" he asked her, a rogue grin on his face, and Sasha found herself understanding why women seemed to fall at his feet. But it hadn't just been his good looks that had lured her in. She fell for the man who had never failed to make her smile, the one who had always seemed to brighten her day, even if he hadn't noticed it.

There had been many men in her life, between her husband and Tom Chandler to name a few, but none of them had ever made her feel as special as Wolf Taylor did. Being around him made her realise what she had been missing in her previous relationships. He let her be herself, without question or reprimand. He didn't try and keep her from the danger, like Tom had done so many times before. And for that, she loved him all the more.

Dropping her hand from her eyes, satisfied that he was at least partially covered (and she could keep her hands to herself for that had been her biggest concern), she gave him a slight shake of her head and a chuckle rolled from his mouth.

"Actually, Taylor, I'm here for the showers," she told him, feeling once again back in control of herself and a little more confident than when she had walked through that door. "Three days out in the middle of the desert and I seem to have brought most of it back. And on top of that, I'm sore, I have cuts and bruises everywhere, and I just want to get some sleep. So if you'll excuse me…"

She made a shooing motion at him with her hands as she let the sentence trail off. Turning her back to him, to give him the chance to dress without her prying eyes, she stripped the grimy shirt over her head, discarding it to the floor. She could already feel the hot water cascading down her body, and the rest of the clothes soon followed the shirt, no longer caring if Wolf was still there or not.

Stepping into the shower cubicle, she pulled the curtain behind her, missing the look Wolf had sent her way, turning on the water. The water was luxurious, warm and inviting. For a moment, Sasha was content to just languish under it, eyes closed and head tilted up towards it. She was comfortable to lose herself in the bliss of it all.

"You know, Cooper, I'm happy to stay," his voice cut through from the other side of the curtain, drawing her from her thoughts and Sasha smiled in spite of herself. "It's not every day a good looking sheila walks through the door when you're in the shower. Figured I could return the favour."

She laughed, stepping back slightly from the spray of the water and poked her head around the shower curtain to meet his grinning face. He was leaning against the side of the shower cubicle, shoulder resting against it as he watched her. There was little to see, with the barrier between them, but somehow she figured his eyes wouldn't stray without her permission anyway.

"Nice try Wolf," she told him with a smile of her own, watching that mischievous spark in his eyes light up. Maybe, just maybe, if she hadn't felt as battered and worn out as she did, she may have taken him up on that offer. Even now, she seriously considered it.

But she wasn't sure that was what she wanted, what she needed, right now. She didn't even realise what she was doing until the last minute, the curtain wrapped around her body as she leaned forward slightly, until her lips met his. It was soft and gentle, and he demanded nothing more of her, happy with what she gave him. Pulling away, his hand on her cheek and her heart beating erratically, she found herself once again considering his offer.

"Wolf…," she sighed, his name breathy on her lips, half unable to form the rest of the sentence, and half knowing that was all that needed to be said. He knew her mind better than she did sometimes, understood her better than anyone else. His thumb rubbed circles briefly against her cheek before falling back to his side, leaving her bereft of his touch.

"Have your shower, and then get some rest, Sasha," he told her, pressing a kiss against her forehead, avoiding the narrow gash on the edge of her hairline. "And if you're feeling a little less like hell after, you know where to find me. Maybe we can try this whole shower thing then."

He gave her a crooked grin, leaving the option in her hands. It was a simple gesture, an offer she could take if she wanted it. It wasn't open and closed, like many of the propositions she had received had been. Dropping the curtain completely, her mind made up and no longer caring what anyone thought, she reached for the loops of his pants, yanking him forward towards her, mouth meeting his hard. His body pressed against hers, seeming not to notice the water soaking through the front of his uniform as Sasha gave him a taste of what was to come. And as she pulled back, and let the curtain fall between them again, she knew they'd be back here sooner rather than later without any barriers between them. As she heard the door close behind him, she found herself wishing she could have had him now.


End file.
